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Caledonia and Fillmore Central will meet November 18 to begin discussion of shared superintendent
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By Charlie Warner and
Craig Moorhead
Caledonia Argus
According to an article written by Lisa Brainard of the Preston-Lanesboro Republican-Leader, Fillmore Central School Board members decided by consensus to respond favorably to a request by the Caledonia School Board for a meeting to look at the potential for sharing a superintendent starting in the 2010-11 school year.
The Fillmore Central and Caledonia School Boards have set a tentative meeting date of Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m., at the Caledonia School, to initially take a look at the idea of sharing a superintendent position. The full boards plan to meet, so the meeting will be open to the public.
FC Board Chair Sue Sikkink reported Caledonia Board Chairperson Naomi Fruechte contacted her by phone the night before the Nov. 5 special meeting of the FC School Board, noting Caledonia would be looking for a superintendent and wondering if Fillmore Central might be interested in looking at the idea of sharing the position.
Caledonia’s Interim Superintendent Bruce Thomas was hired to a one year contract this past summer.
Naomi Fruechte commented Nov. 10 on the upcoming meeting. “I had called them and talked to their board chair. She said ‘We happen to be having a special meeting‚ the next night. She called me back the next day and said yes, their board was interested in talking to us.
“Neither of us has any agenda to push. We just want to talk it over. That’s kind of where it stands…just talk and find out if there is any possibility that we could share. We tentatively have a meeting scheduled for next Wednesday (Nov. 18). They’ve said they’d come here. I’m still waiting to hear from her (FC Board Chair Sue Sikkink) if that’s going to be her final (decision) because she still has to check with some members too, but that’s what we’re thinking.”
Isn’t it a long ways for a superintendent to travel back and forth?
“Maybe it will go somewhere, maybe it won’t, “Fruechte replied. But you don’t know unless you sit down and talk. If you’re going to try something new, maybe you need to think of a new paradigm too…think out of the box a little more.”
Superintendent/K-8 Principal Myrna Luehmann has told the FC School Board that following the conclusion of this school year, she would be interested in serving only in a half-time position.
Sikkink brought up the topic by suggesting board members “brainstorm” on how they’d envision the district moving in the next three to five years, including administration, facilities and student numbers.
Sikkink also pointed out Luehmann’s current contract is for one year and will end June 30, 2010.
“We need to figure out our configuration… decide what to do… and how to advertise for it,” stated Sikkink. She felt advertising for a superintendent position should be placed by the end of December.
Then she noted the call received, saying board chairperson Naomi Fruechte had said Caledonia was in a decision making process and wasn’t sure which way to go. They’d decided to talk to neighboring districts about the potential to share a superintendent and thought of Fillmore Central.
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